Languedoc Rousillon cycling holidays

7 days / 6 nights beginning on Sunday, finishing on Saturday.
Includes transfers from Carcassonne or Narbonne railway station, accommodation, breakfast and dinner. Lunch is at your discretion.
The Languedoc is a land of startling contrasts. From its flat coastal plain which is the largest wine producing area of France, the region stretches inland to the Black Mountains (Montagne Noire), and to the west until it meets the Pyrénées. In the east, the spectacular country of canyons and cliffs stretches onto the lonely plateau of the Cevennes, and from there to the River Rhône. The Mediterranean washes miles of white sandy beaches from the Rhone delta to the Spanish frontier. Between these borders sit the rugged hinterlands of the Corbières and Minervois.
Languedoc was in the early middle ages the historic home to the Cathars, a religious sect who rejected the pomp of the Catholic church, and who were persecuted to extinction as a result. The Cathars left a legacy of fortresses in the Pyrénéen foothills and the Montagne Noire that today are some of the most romantic ruins in Europe!
Another man-made feature of the Languedoc that has to be mentioned is the engineering feat of the Canal du Midi, built in the eighteenth century to carry goods from the Mediterranean at Sète to the river Garonne at Toulouse, from where they would be transported to the Atlantic coast at Bordeaux. Tranquil and tree-lined, it meanders across the Languedoc plain and into the hills.
Fish and shellfish feature strongly in the cuisine of the coastal region, with spanish influences being felt from the proximity of the border. Further inland the food is heartier, with specialities such as cassoulet and game dishes. The wines of the Languedoc are diverse, with reds from the Faugeres and Minervois regions, the whites of Picpoul de Pinet and others from the coastal plain which provide a perfect accompaniment to shellfish dishes, and the sparkling wines of Limoux; these are but a small selection of what the area has to offer.

The cycling is as varied as the terrain, with moderate pedalling along the valley of the River Gardon, but challenging countryside in the more mountainous terrain of the Haut-Languedoc and its Cevennes National Park, and then easy cycling as we appreciate thewineries of the coastal plain. The tour involves a moderate amount of climbing, including a couple of cols or mountain passes, and is ideal for those with some cycling experience.